PM Modi Will Provide 400 Million Unorganized Workers With Smart Cards For Their Social & Financial Inclusion

Around 32% of India’s population are working under unorganized sector; which means that they don’t have provision to take any type of loan; they cannot take part in any social initiative and/or health related schemes.

PM Modi is all set to change this as 40 crore workers under unorganized sector will soon receive a special smart card, which will enable their financial and social inclusion into mainstream economy.

Named as Unorganized Workers’ Identification Number (UWIN) card, this scheme would be directly managed by the Labor Ministry; and has been hailed as one of the biggest social schemes every launched inside India or anywhere in the world. Besides providing social security for unorganized workers, this smart card will provide them with an identity.

This unique social initiative will target those workers, who neither covered under Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) nor Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC).

Labour Minister Bandaru Dattatreya said, “Within one month Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch smart card called UWIN (Unorganized Workers’ Identification Number) card. We had sought time from the Prime Minister for launching it for over 40 crore workers in the country,”

This announcement was made during the launch of Global Network Operations Centre (g-NOC) of EPFO at the National Capital.

Using existing Government schemes such as Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY), Atal Pension Yojana, Aam Admi Bima Yojana (AABY), Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana and Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana; UWIN cards will have a chip which will store all vital information of these unorganized workers, and will integrate the national database with one central repository.

Hence, migrant workers, which are common phenomenon (for example, laborers from Bihar working in Gujarat) would be able to avail all benefits, without any physical boundary.

As per reports, this scheme would be implemented within next 2 years; and 10 crore such smart cards would be issued in the first phase.